Australia Flashcards
Australia climate
Hot desert interior / cooler coastal areas
Great dividing mountain range - involved in wine producing regions
progressive in water conservation practices
Eroded & nutrient poor soils (this is good thing!)
Australia vines
no indigenous grapes
All European varieties - brought by European immigrants
Some guy named Busby
Australian Grape Varities
Minimum 85% if labeled. Most of the time they are 100%
White
1 - Chardonnay
2 - Sauvignon Blanc
3 - Semillon
4 - Riesling (generally dry)
Red
1 - Shiraz
2 - Cabernet Sauvignon
3 - Merlot
4 - Grenache (he says underrated)
5 - Pinot Noir - cooler regions in Victoria
Australian Viticulture
Lots of old vine because not my phylloxera
Oldest Shiraz vines on the planet. 180 years old.
Known for sweet wines until the 1060s
Irrigation necessary
warm, dry climates produce very ripe grapes (acid / sugar balance)
Focus on maintaining freshness
Australian Vinification
Innovative / technology leader
Traditional Vinification - blending grapes and region, use of American oak.
Modern Vinification - interest in single vineyards, technical & clean winemaking, French oak
Acidification - simple additions sometimes neccesary
Alternative Packaging
Australian Appellation System
LIP - Label Integrity Program
85% minimum across the board
GI - Geographical Indications
refers to geographical area only, not wine style
(similar to New Zealand and US)
Australian GI Categories
Australia - largest GI - 100% of grapes must come from Australia
Zones, Regions, Big Regions like Southeastern Australia
Bigger not necessarily worse.
New South Wales
Eastern Austarlia
Hot and humid inalnd / cooler near the coast
Great Dividing Range
GIs - Hunger Valley (Semillon)
Rivernia (Large scale production)
Victoria GI
City of Melborne
Murray Darling - hot climate, important region for busk wine production
Rutherglen - Stickies! (sweet wines) fortified muscat / muscadelle
Yarra Valley - cool, maritime climate, Pinot NOir and Chardonnay, still & sparking wines
South Australia
Barossa Valley GI - near Adelaide, warm mediterranean, shiraz, cabernet, grenache, extremely old vines
Eden Valley - cooler, high elevation
HIgh altitude helps retain acidity in grapes, dry riesling, chardonnay, shiraz
Clare Valley - higher elevation, hot days / cool nights, riesling (dry), Shiraz
McLaren vale - Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon
Coonawarra - Terra Rossa soil, cool med climate, top region for Cab Sauv
Western Australia
Margaret River GI
Near Perth
Warm Mediterranean
Ocean breezes moderate climate
White - chardonnay, Semillon / SB
Red - Cab Sauv, Shiraz, Merlot
